Spring 2021

Context

SJC mission: Assess policies and practices of the Town of Leverett and recommend changes to address historic and systemic oppression and inequity.

  • Town Government subcommittee had many internal ideas about ways to improve equity in town government, but we were wary of assuming we knew everything
  • Wanted to understand experiences of as many townspeople as possible
  • Developed survey, tried to balance questions to hear about good experiences and ideas for improvement as much as bad experiences and critiques

Gathering data

Cast as wide a net as possible:

  • Collected over two months (Dec 2020 - Jan 2021)
  • Electronic version via Google Form, identical paper versions at multiple locations (LES, Town Hall, Library)
  • Advertised to Town newsletter, LeverettConnects (multiple times), social networks, flyering at Transfer Station (multiple days)
  • Considered lottery/prize for participation, but interfered with competing goal of anonymity

Final data set

  • 262 responses: Roughly 1 in 6 members of the town voting-age population; more than attendance at typical Town Meeting
  • Vast majority came in online, but a handful done on paper
  • Proportion of people of color roughly in line with town demographics
  • More respondents identify as women than men (2:1 ratio)
  • Wide range of length of time living in town
  • Wide range of reported TM attendance

Abbreviations: TG = Town Government, TM = Town Meeting

Data aggregation choices: Race and gender

  • Collapsed anyone who identified as a race or ethnicity other than White into “Person of color” category.
  • 12 respondents chose not to identify race; their responses tend to be quite different than the “People of color” category. Unsure of how to handle them, so given their own category.
  • Similar choices for gender, though we also included a category for non-binary and other responses (4 people)

Statistical comments

Statisticians love uncertainty!

  • Sample size for some subgroups is small
  • Sample likley consists of residents who are the most connected to and comfortable in town politics and governance.
  • Yet… as far as we are aware, the only other data on any of these topics is anecdotal. Humility by all is encouraged!

Getting oriented to the plots

How many years have you lived in Leverett?

Results

Big questions:

  • How well-informed do people feel about TG? How could that be improved? If they want to be more informed and involved, what suggestions do they have?
  • Outside of TM: What barriers to people face to attending? How informed do they feel about warrant articles ahead of time?
  • Inside TM: What experiences do people have? Do they understand the issues discussed? How engaged are they in those discussions? What ideas do people have for improvements?

Not going to show every result for every question in the survey - but happy to follow up with more details for those interested.

Town Government / Before Town Meeting

Before Town Meeting

How well do you understand the structure of TG?

Town Government / Before Town Meeting

Would you like to understand TG and TM better?

No major differences by race or gender

Before Town Meeting

How regularly do you attend Town Meeting?

Before Town Meeting

Are there barriers to attending TM?

Some differences by race and gender. First, overall:

Before Town Meeting

Are there barriers to attending TM?

Before Town Meeting

What are most commonly cited barriers?

Among those who cited at least one barrier to attending TM:

  • TM too long (52%)
  • Work (39%)
  • Childcare (34% overall, 41% for women, 14% for men, 50% for PoC)
  • Don’t know when and where it is (15%, 40% for PoC)

73% report that they would like to attend TM more frequently if these barriers were eliminated.

Before Town Meeting

Informed at TM?

Most people (57%) report feeling somwehat or very well-informed ahead of time about the budget and articles that will be voted on at TM, not surprising given profile of our respondents.

No major differences by race and gender.

After discussions at TM, this rises to 65%.

Follow-up question: “What suggestions do you have for how the Town could help people be more informed before Town Meeting?”

Before Town Meeting

Common suggestions for informing the town (74 responses)

Women (n = 49):

  • Want information, updates and alerts sent via website/email/LeverettConnects (17)
  • Want more background information on the articles and/or TM process (13)
  • Want remote access to and more information about town committees (8)

Men (n = 20):

  • Want information, updates and alerts sent via website/email/LeverettConnects (4)

People of color (n = 6):

  • Better town web site (3)

White people (n = 61):

  • Want more basic information about how town government works (7)
  • Want remote access to and more information about town committees (6)
  • Happy with the amount of information available now (6)

Before Town Meeting

Notable quotes about informing the town…

“Can we join town meeting remotely? That way I could take care of the kids and listen. Can we make it shorter? I can’t stay for more than the morning, my kids need lunch and something else to do.”

“I also think that an information package for residents would be very useful. Leverett prides itself on being a nice community, but it is actually a very difficult place in which to meet your neighbors and find out about local happenings due to the distance between houses.”

“My wife and I have enjoyed being part of the Town’s self-governance since we moved here [in the 60s]… We have served for decades [on a number of boards]… From what I can see the LSJC would prefer to be living in Portland or a town in North Carolina. I like this town as it is, but I suspect there will be no stopping your group.”

“It seems like things are already decided before town meeting. Town meeting is just a formality to hear from people that already know the issues and run the place.”

“Create a forum online like LeverettConnects that permits politics so candidates can discuss points of view in more than the 250 word intro in the newsletter.”

“We should have a tiered system where new residents are required to receive education prior to being allowed to speak at town meeting.”

At Town Meeting

At Town Meeting

Do you have any suggestions on how the Town Meeting format could be changed to improve your understanding of town issues?

No major differences by race or gender. Lots of ideas…

  • Voter guides showing what yes and no votes would mean and alternatives
  • Before TM starts, explain to all how it works and allow written questions
  • Avoid acronyms (for committees) and speakers give full name and position
  • Remote access to TM
  • Anonymous voting on everything
  • Electing a committee to do the actual voting
  • Have more (but smaller) Town Meetings to lessen the amount of time for one
  • Paper ballot for elected officials to be returned within a week
  • Voting without attending meeting

Many of these may not be allowed under current bylaws.

At Town Meeting

What are the experiences people report at TM?

What do they like?

What do they dislike?

How have they experienced the actual meeting?

What suggestions do they have?

At Town Meeting

What do people like about TM?

  • 61%: See neighbors
  • 61%: Tradition (35% among people of color)
  • 58%: Time to discuss issues before voting
  • 57%: Open to all residents’ voices
  • 48%: Helps understand how TG works

At Town Meeting

What does not work well about TM?

  • 46%: Too long
  • 37%: It can be intimidating to speak
  • 16%: Don’t understand rules

Some differences by race and gender (next slides)

At Town Meeting

Too long

At Town Meeting

Have you ever felt uncomfortable asking questions / voting publicly at TM?

At Town Meeting

WHY do people feel uncomfortable asking questions or voting at TM?

No major differences by race or gender (n = 56):

  • Intimidated / worried about being judged / rudeness (37)
  • Worried about conflict with others (20)
  • Shy / not confident / don’t like public speaking (13)
  • Hard to speak against the perceived majority (11)
  • Feel uninformed, self-conscious about that (8)

Open-ended responses on the topic of TG/TM

A few quotes from “Would you like to share anything else?” …

(Becky sending them soon)

“Newer residents need to show respect for those who have lived here.”

Key findings: General

People report wanting to understand TG and committee work better (65%).

People report wanting more information and context for TM warrant articles ahead of time.

People have lots of ideas about how to disseminate information!

Key findings: Town Meeting

People report liking the promise of town meeting - time to discuss and understand issues, place where all can be involved in democratic decision making.

… Yet: 72% of people report at least one barrier to attending TM; higher among people of color and women. 73% would attend more if barriers removed.

… Yet: There is an intimidating atmosphere at TM; Many people, especially women (46%), feel intimidated to speak.

… Yet: Many people (43%) do not feel well-informed leading up to TM.

… Yet: Length is an issue (46%).

People have lots of ideas on how to improve TM.

Thoughts? Next steps?

We are interested in hearing your thoughts and questions!

We are going to mull this over follow up with recommendations soon.

Notable reference